RUTGER HAUER 1944-2019

Rutger

Dutch actor, Rutger Hauer, who portrayed the replicant Roy Batty in Blade Runner, has passed away.

Born January 23, 1944 in Breukelen, Netherlands, Rutger Olesen Hauer was drawn to becoming an actor at an early age as both his parents were owners of a touring acting school.

A rebel from the get go he was always getting into mischief, finally running away to join the crew of a freighter to become a sailor, but suffering from colour blindness it soon ended his career.

His parents enrolled him in drama school, but Mr. Hauer spent most of his time avoiding classes frequenting coffee houses and writing poetry. After being expelled, he joined the navy, but found it didn’t suit him so he convinced his superior officers that he was mentally unfit and was placed in a psych ward convincing the navy that they didn’t need him getting a general discharge.

He became good friends with director Paul Verhoeven who placed him in many of his films with his best performance being Solider of Orange.

An incredible body of work, the gifted actor performed in over a 150 films and television episodes that include Turkish Delight, Wanted Dead or Alive portraying the grandson of Steve McQueen’s Josh Randall, Ladyhawke, the creepy serial killer in The Hitcher, Nighthawks, Flesh and Blood, The 10th Kingdom, Blood of the Innocent, Dario Argento’s Dracula as Dr. Van Helsing, plus many more notable roles.

His final role was portraying the Ghost of Christmas Future for a television broadcast of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

STARBURST sends our thoughts to his friends and family.

 

Corin Hardy and Sly Stallone Teaming for the Monstrous ARCANE

Corin Hardy The Nun

Courtesy of Variety, Sylvester Stallone and Braden Aftergood’s Balboa Productions is moving forward with a new monster movie from Corin Hardy.

Hardy made waves in 2015 with The Hallow and has since gone on to impress with The Nun, not to mention having at one point being attached to direct the long-gestating The Crow reboot. And now, he’ll be tackling Arcane for Balboa.

No details at all are known on the plot of Arcane at this early juncture, bar the fact that it is a monster movie offering.

The current plan for Balboa Productions is to pull from the Blumhouse model of allowing fresh voices and upcoming talent to shine.

Expect more on Arcane as we get it.

DARK SIDE OF THE RING Renewed for a Second Season

Randy Savage Miss Elizabeth

One of the greatest pieces of television to come along in a long while was this year’s Dark Side of the Ring series that looked to explore some of the most infamous stories in the history of pro wrestling. And now, there’s confirmation that this fascinating show has been renewed for a second season.

Many had hoped that the series would get a second season, and this news was announced during the recent TCA tour. Even better, the episode count will be upped to ten episodes this time out.

The official press release on this news reads:

VICE TV’s summer hit DARK SIDE OF THE RING will return to UK screens after it was announced today that a second season has been commissioned. The return was announced by VICELAND President Guy Slattery at the Television Critics Association semi-annual Press Tour in Los Angeles.

The news follows ratings success and critical acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic. In the US, DARK SIDE OF THE RING it racked up the best premiere ratings in P18-49 and total viewers (P2+) of any series in the channel’s three-year history,* garnering attention from some of the sport’s superstars, including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. The UK ratings mirrored this success when it launched on VICE TV in early June, becoming the highest-rating US VICE original premiere on the UK network in the last quarter.

“We were thrilled with the positive response to Dark Side when it debuted,” said Slattery, “the enthusiasm from fans and non-fans alike was contagious.  We can’t wait to tell more of these stories.”

The second season of DARK SIDE OF THE RING will almost double the initial episode order, with ten hour-long examinations of the collision of fantasy and reality and the stars’ larger-than-life characters in and out of the ring from returning executive producers Evan Husney and Jason Eisener. Production is already underway on the second cycle.

DARK SIDE OF THE RING is produced by VICE Studios and has been commissioned by Canada’s Bell Media for their Crave platform.

When we caught up with Dark Side of the Ring director Jason Eisener and producer Evan Husney this June, the pair revealed that they had already begun loose work on a second season. Already, the duo had worked on an episode based around the mafia-ordered death of Dino Bravo.

In the show’s debut season, the show dived deep on the infamous murder of Bruiser Brody, the marriage and break up of “Macho Man” Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth, the Montreal Screwjob, the tragic loss of the Von Erich family, the life and career of the opinion-splitting Fabulous Moolah, and the shocking death of Gina Hernandez.

Sadly, the wrestling world is one that has plentiful shocking and tragic moments littered throughout its history. That means that there are so many possible people and moments that could be explored in Season 2 of Dark Side of the Ring. And, to the credit of Eisener and Husney, they have a brilliant knack of being respectful with their subject matter while also fleshing out every angle of some of the wrestling industry’s most notorious of moments.

Expect more on Dark Side of the Ring’s second season as we get it.

DAVID HEDISON 1927-2019

Hedison

David Hedison who portrayed Captain Lee Crane of the Seaview on Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and the ill-fated scientist, Andre Delambre in The Fly, has left us.

Born Albert David Hedison, Jr. he was born May 20, 1927 in Providence, Rhode Island where his family owned a jewelry business. As a young man, after going to the local movie theatre to see Blood and Sand, he decided acting was to be his profession.

Mr. Hedison focused on his profession by starting out on stage where he received the prestigious World Theatre Award for best newcomer and was picked up by 20th Century Fox as a contract actor back in the late ‘50s.

Mr. Hedison was friends with the late Roger Moore where he was the first actor to portray James Bond’s confidant, C.I.A. agent Felix Leiter in Live and Let Die, as well as with Timothy Dalton’s Bond in License to Kill. On an obscure, pre-destination note, he starred as a veiled Felix Leiter to Roger Moore’s veiled James Bond in The Saint episode, Luella. It’s a must see – especially the ending.

Other notable roles include, Perry Mason, Marines Let’s Go, The Lost World, The Enemy Below, The A-Team, Murder, She Wrote, Superman, and The Secret Planet where he voiced Jor-El, plus many more.

Back in the late ‘80’s there was talk about reviving the Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea television series where Mr. Hedison was asked to portray his character again. Mr. Hedison said no as Richard Baseheart who portrayed the inventor of the Seaview, Admiral Nelson, had passed away and said it wouldn’t be the same without him at the helm.

Mr. Hedison was up for the father of The Brady Bunch in the series of the same name but turned it down surmising after four years of subs and monsters, who need kids and dogs?

Mr. Hedison was a true actor who loved his craft and entertained us all.

STARBURST sends out our good thoughts to his family and friends.

 

Horror Channel Celebrates FrightFest in August

channel frightfest

FrightFest is just around the corner, and to celebrate the main event, Horror Channel is dedicating 13 nights to some of the best films from past festivals. With 26 movies being screened, there’s certainly going to be something that’ll catch your eye (or gouge it out!).

Among the movies showing are the UK TV premieres of the brilliant zombie movie The Dead 2: India, directed by the Ford Brothers. Jonathan Ford also has his film Offensive get its first UK TV screening.

Other popular titles to watch out for are A Lonely Place to Die, All Cheerleaders Die, and the remake of Martyrs. Other great films include Eli Roth’s The Green Inferno, the hilariously shocking Severance, and Ti West’s The Innkeepers. More gory fun can be had with Dominic Brunt’s Attack of the Adult Babies, Adam Green’s Hatchet and the return of the killer doll in Curse of Chucky.

Films will be screened as double bills each night at 9pm from Friday August 16th. For the full line up of movies, head over to the Horror Channel website. You can tune in on Sky 317, Virgin 149, Freeview 70, Freesat 138.

Jordan Vogt-Roberts’ Directing New WALKING DEAD Show’s Pilot

The Walking Dead

Earlier this year, we saw AMC announce a new series to be set within the world of The Walking Dead. And now, there’s news on a major name being brought in to direct the pilot episode of this new series.

Fresh from San Diego Comic-Con, it’s been revealed that Kong: Skull Island’s Jordan Vogt-Roberts is going to be on directing duties for the pilot of this to-be-titled new Walking Dead show.

Minimal details are known on this new series right now bar the fact that the show will largely focus on two young females who have had to grow up in a post-apocalyptic world full of the undead.

A ten-episode debut season is expected to premiere at some point next year.

Amazon’s LORD OF THE RINGS Adds Markella Kavenagh

Markella Kavenagh

As Amazon’s mega-budget Lord of the Rings TV show continues to amass its core cast, the series has added Markella Kavenagh to its ranks.

Courtesy of Variety, relative newcomer Kavenagh – who made her acting debut in last year’s Romper Stomper TV show – will be playing a character called Tyra. At this early stage there is absolutely zero word on who this character is or what their role will be in Lord of the Rings.

Likewise, specifics on the show as a whole are being kept relatively hush-hush right now bar the fact that JD Payne and Patrick McKay are writing the series. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’s J.A. Bayona is also on board to direct several episodes of the small-screen trek to Middle Earth.

Expect more on Lord of the Rings as it continues to develop.

Chris Rock’s SAW Brought Forward to May 2020

Saw

With a new Saw movie on the way from Chris Rock and Darren Lynn Bousman, said return for this fan favourite horror franchise has been brought forward.

Originally pegged for an October 23rd, 2020 release, Lionsgate has moved the film to May 15th, 2020 – meaning that the picture will be released five months earlier that initially planned.

Seemingly, one reason for moving out away from that October 2020 release may be down to the recent confirmation that The Shape will be back in Halloween Kills during that same period.

In this to-be-titled Saw offering, Chris Rock stars as a police detective tasked with investigating a batch of grim and brutal murders. Samuel L. Jackson will be playing Rock’s father, while there are also roles for Horns’ Max Minghella and Riverdale’s Marisol Nichols.

The idea for the movie actually came from Rock, who will also be acting as producer on the film. Saw II, Saw III and Saw IV’s Bousman will be back in the director’s chair for this ninth Saw movie.

Elizabeth Tulloch’s Lois Lane Returning for CRISIS

Elizabeth Tulloch Lois Lane

Hot on the heels of Burt Ward being confirmed to be a part of this year’s hugely anticipated Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event for the Arrowverse, now comes word on another person who’ll be a part of this multi-episode, multi-show Crisis.

Via Entertainment Weekly, it’s been revealed that Elizabeth Tulloch will be returning to the Arrowverse as Lois Lane.

This doesn’t come as a major surprise, given that Tyler Hoechlin’s Superman was recently confirmed for Crisis. Remember, Tulloch’s Lois was a part of last year’s stunning Elseworlds crossover for the Arrowverse.

Back during Elseworlds, the conclusion of that crossover saw a pregnant Lois taken to Argo City by the Man of Steel. And the pair have yet to be seen since. When this duo return for Crisis, they won’t be alone – for Superman and Lois will have their child in tow!

Expect more on Crisis on Infinite Earths as we get it.

Animated SUPERMAN: RED SON Movie Set for 2020

Superman: Red Son

Fresh of premiering the Batman: Hush animated movie at San Diego Comic-Con, Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment have moved to announce what animated offerings are lined up for 2020.

First up, early 2020 will see fans treated to an animated take on Mark Millar’s stunning Superman: Red Son tale. In that famed 2003 Elseworlds tale, readers saw a Kal-El who landed in the Soviet Union and was brought up as a Communist hero.

After Superman: Red Son, 2020 has Justice League Dark: Apokolips War and Superman: Man of Tomorrow lined up. Details on those films are scarce at this stage, although it may well be that JL Dark: Apokolips War is a spin on Geoff Johns’ The Darkseid War. For Man of Tomorrow, that is reportedly an original movie with no direct comic-book basis.

As for the aforementioned Batman: Hush, we’ve already had a chance to check out this animated adaptation of one of the greatest modern-day Bat-stories – and let’s just say it’s sure to get DC fans talking.

Keep your eyes peeled towards the turn of the month for our full Hush review.